According to an Internet telephone network system, in which voice data is transmitted and received over the Internet, including a wireless network, with a wireless communication apparatus disposed as a terminal device, IP (Internet Protocol) addresses are allocated for communication to the wireless communication apparatuses of a calling party and a called party. It is to be noted that an IP address is an address for discriminating between a transmission source and a destination in TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) communications. IP addresses include a global IP address, which has a globally unique identification attribute, and a local IP address (or a private IP address in some cases), which is set up by the user privately. However, it is to be noted that “IP address” used by itself hereinafter, means a global IP address.
In addition, it is to be noted that when a calling party's wireless communication apparatus and a called party's wireless communication apparatus communicate with each other, a relay server may be provided for relaying communications between the calling party's wireless communication apparatus and the called party's wireless communication apparatus. For example, in the case where the called party is in the wireless network environment where it is protected by the firewall, an appropriate communication means may be selected according to the wireless network environment of the called party to connect the calling party and the called party by the relay server.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that in the case where the wireless network apparatus of the called party is arranged in a lower layer than an ADSL (Asymmetric digital subscriber line) connection apparatus, an address may be allocated dynamically, or a local IP address may be allocated. In this case, the calling party's wireless communication apparatus may be in the network environment where it is not allowed to be connected with the called party's wireless communication apparatus directly. In such a network environment, an appropriate communication means may be selected according to the network environment of the called party to connect the calling party and the called party by the relay server.
Still further, it is to be noted that the wireless communication apparatus may be arranged in a lower layer, which is set by a router apparatus, in a variety of wireless internet connection environments such as CATV (Cable Television), FTTH (Fiber To The Home), the Internet apartment and so forth as well as ADSL. In this case, the address of the wireless communication apparatus is allocated dynamically or a local IP address is assigned to the wireless communication apparatus. As a result, the calling party's wireless communication apparatus may not be allowed to be connected with the called party's wireless communication apparatus directly. In such a network environment, an appropriate communication means may be selected according to the wireless network environment of the called party to connect the calling party and the called party by the relay server.
FIG. 27 shows a block diagram of an internet telephone network system, which is disclosed in PCT/JP1/04003. (This PCT application has a filing date of May 15, 2001. Refer to the application of PCT/JP1/04003 for further details thereof.
Or, the application of PCT/JP1/04003 is incorporated herein by reference.) Reference numerals 910 and 920 in FIG. 27 denote telephone sets, which are connected with telephone adapters 912 and 922 through indoor telephone lines 911 and 912, respectively. A relay server 918 is provided between the telephone sets 910 and 920 for relaying the transmission and reception of call data. The relay server 918 consists of a plurality of HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) relay servers 918a and 918b, and an HTTP relay server managing server 980 which manages the HTTP relay server. In addition, the relay server 918 is connected with the telephone sets 910 and 920 over the Internet 16. Assuming that the telephone set 910 is in the calling party and the telephone set 920 is in the called party, when a connection is made by the calling party with the called party for a call, the relay server managing server 980 receives a call request from the calling party over the Internet. The HTTP relay server managing server 980 selects an HTTP relay server available for relaying based on the call request received. A selected HTTP relay server relays a communication between the calling party and the called party.
In such a system, a single unit of HTTP relay server managing server manages all the telephone adapters and HTTP relay servers to implement communication relaying.
According to the above mentioned internet telephone network system, if telephone adapters become more popular and some hundreds of thousands of telephone adapters come to be installed all over Japan and all over the world, it is impossible for a single unit of relay server managing server to manage all the relay servers and telephone adapters issuing call requests. This poses a problem in the implementation of the system. Another possible problem is that, even if the relay server managing server is capable of managing all the relay servers, the quality of services, which can be offered may be degraded.
It is an object of this invention, for example, to make a communication system operable even in the case where the number of wireless communication apparatuses is increased.
Furthermore, mobile phone penetration shows a remarkable growth in recent years, where wireless Internet service of mobile phones, etc. started in February 1999. The number of wireless Internet service users continues to grow rapidly. On the other hand, mobile phone calls are charged at a meter rate in the same way as regular and public phone calls. A growing number of Internet services provide a constant Internet access environment for fixed monthly fee these days. Also for mobile phones, some Internet services can be provided on a fixed monthly fee basis. Thus, mobile phone services can be used at low cost if such fixed monthly fee based Internet communication paths for data are used in voice communications. However, it is not possible in the current mobile Internet environment to allocate a fixed global IP address dynamically to a communication apparatus. In addition, it would not be possible to build Internet telephone system in the current IP phone standards based mobile environment without penetration of new Internet protocol standards such as IPv6 (Internet Protocok Version 6) and Mobile IP.
An objective of the present invention is to allow it possible to manage Internet telephone systems in the mobile environment of mobile phones, etc. only through current Internet protocol standards in widespread use instead of using new Internet protocol standards such as IPv6 and Mobile IP.